


Memories Together

by TomdraGamer



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, I used to write fics on Wattpad and now I'm here what am I doing?, I'll add more characters to description as they're added, I'm a copperright simp, M/M, May or may not include sex later on IDK, Post-Toppat King Ending | TK (Henry Stickmin), Pre-Henry Stickmin Series: Breaking the Bank, Prequel Henry Stickmin, Primarily copperright but I might add some other ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29597790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomdraGamer/pseuds/TomdraGamer
Summary: Reginald Copperbottom, ex leader of the Toppat Clan relays the story of how he joined the Toppats, became their leader, and how he met his Right Hand Man.
Relationships: Copperight, Copperright - Relationship, Reginald Copperbottom & Right Hand Man, Reginald Copperbottom/Right Hand Man
Comments: 7
Kudos: 34





	1. Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Well, first part for my first fic on this site. I was going to add drawings for this fic but it will be too slow. If you want to see my art for how I image the characters would look (as I draw them as humans) you can find me here:
> 
> Instagram: tomdra_gamer  
> Twitter: Tomdra_Gamer  
> DeviantArt: koopaqueeneternal (I don't want to start a new account or pay for Core to change it so I'm stuck with a name I made when I was 12.)

**Prologue**

Reginald Copperbottom, the previous leader of the Toppat Clan, stood at the top of the orbital space station looking out at the vastness of space. He contemplated his life, how he became a Toppat, how he became the chief, and how he met his Right Hand Man.   
He was stirred from his thoughts at the sound of the elevator stopping, the doors opening. His eyes remained on the stars as he heard metallic footsteps approach him from behind. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, one of which was made of cybernetics. His husband’s head rested on his shoulder, letting out a soft hum.

“Thought I’d find you ‘ere,” Right Hand Man relaxed, having found his husband at the top of the orbital space station. “I can tell you’ve got somethin’ on your mind Reg. Everything alright?”

“Yes, everything is fine,” Reginald responded after a moment of silence, “just thinking about everything that led us here, to this moment.”

They fell into a state of quiet, the only noise being the dull buzz of electricity and motors powering the station. The big blue Earth loomed beside them; the city lights twinkled like the stars above. Reginald always found it amazing to see the Earth from their orbit, everyone seemed so small and insignificant; the world always would be if the Toppats held their control from space, being untouched by the governments that opposed them.

“Y’know, I remember the day we met,” Right Hand Man recounted, “I remember it like it was yesterday, and I always regret not being nicer.”

“Well, that didn’t put me off now did it?” Reginald chuckled, before letting out a sigh. He hated to admit it, but there were times where he lamented moments of his life, such as when he handed over the Toppat Clan to Henry Stickmin in an act of cowardice. The only good to come of it was the Toppat Clan not being handed over to the government that were hovering outside the airship that day, and maybe their current strings of success..  
He gently broke away from Right Hand Man’s embrace, turning to face him.

“I know we’ve talked about our lives many times before over the past 20 years we’ve known each other, but can we talk about it again?”

“You like going down memory lane, don’t you?” Right Hand Man smiled, holding Reginald’s hand. “Where shall we start?”

“Well…”


	2. A Meeting of Thieves

In the middle of a town, in the middle of the night, in the middle of summer, everything was presumably quiet. What was a busy and bustling epicentre of people during the day, was a ghost town by night. Dim streetlights flickered; shadows being cast by moths attracted to their glow. Everyone slept soundly, except for one.  
Footsteps quietly pattered their way around the back of a jewellery store, escaping to the shadows to avoid being caught by cameras scanning for thieves. Reginald Copperbottom, aged 18, planned to rob the very jewellery store he was now hiding behind. He was a good pickpocket, but that was not enough, the items he stole would barely sell for any cash.

He opened his bag, pulling out a lock picking kit he bought with the money saved up from his pickpocketing. Crouching down, he attempted to pick at the back door. After attempting for three minutes, he stopped, realising he could faintly hear voices. He quietly waited to see if they would go away, but the voices would not stop; they sounded like they were arguing.  
Reginald contemplated leaving, but he decided to go ahead with his plans. He needed the money, badly. Curiously, he attempted to turn the doorknob, thinking if there were people inside there would be a chance the doors were unlocked. Luck was in his favour as the door gently swung open. He silently celebrated as he crept inside, staying low. He made a guess that if there were people inside arguing, presumably other thieves, the security cameras would have been disabled. 

“We’re going to get in so much trouble if we get caught,” a voice whispered loudly, “we should just head back to the airship.”

“Not a chance!” Someone else had cut in. “Terrence is running the Toppat Clan into the ground! All his raids are pointless and we’re losing members and money like office workers lose pens!”

Toppats, Reginald thought, actual Toppats! He had heard rumours of their airship being spotted in the area, and he could have sworn he had seen a few members of the government having a few drinks at the local bar, most likely here to investigate the sightings. He became curious of their conversation, listening in as he carefully swiped valuables from the displays.

“Slice, I know you’re not sure about this, but you need to hear me out. Terrence’s raids are almost always unsuccessful because he never puts in any planning. None of us know what to do, he just springs them on us at random! I have a plan,” Slice interrupted him.

“Geoffrey, I know you’re the ideas guy of the clan, but I think your head is too big for you to see just how bad of an idea this is! You’ve even roped Harry and Floyd into this, and we’ll all get thrown off the airship if this goes wrong!”

Reginald enjoyed hearing the discourse among the Toppats in front of him, it was almost reassuring to know that major crime organisations could have problems. His bag was filled with stolen goods from the store, almost all the displays were now empty. He was getting ready to sneak out the back door when a thought struck him. If these were Toppats, they might have some valuables on them he could pickpocket. He tests his luck again, setting his bag down and sneaking to a display that a Toppat with a broken-looking hat was leaning on. Carefully, he slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out anything he could get his gloved hands on.  
He slipped his hand back in but realised too late that the Toppats had gone quiet. A hand firmly grasped him by the wrist, yanking him up off his feet. He yelped out in surprise, his shoulder straining from being held up. He was now face-to-face with a man with an ugly scar on his face. He presumed he was Slice.

“What are _you_ doing here kid?” Slice interrogated, shaking him by the wrist. Reginald remained quiet; he was confident with being a thief, but any sort of confrontation scared him. He would run away if he could.

“Answer me!” Slice pressed on, scowling angrily. His attention was briefly torn away from Reginald as Geoffrey called over to him.

“The kid’s been stealing all the jewellery,” Geoffrey exclaimed, “the store is almost empty and it’s all in this bag over here!” Slice went back to scowling at Reginald, only receiving an awkward smirk in response. Who Reginald assumed was Floyd, stood there in shock while Harry was patting down his pockets to check for missing items.

“Bloody kid stole my keys…” Harry grumbled. Slice went from scowling to raising an eyebrow, a more confident imitation of Reginald’s smirk spreading across his face.

“Impressive,” Slice started, “you managed to loot the entire store and our friend’s pockets before we noticed. What’s your name kid?”

“Reginald,” he squeaked, “Reginald Copperbottom.” He sighed in relief as Slice lowered him back down, the strain taken off his shoulder.

“Well Reginald,” Slice started, his posture becoming more laid back, “We’ll let you go if you let us take your bag of stolen goods. We won’t even report you.” Reginald was tempted to agree, he just wanted to get out of here and away from these clan-hardened criminals. Geoffrey picked up his back, slinging it over his shoulder. He approached the two of them, placing a hand on Reginald’s shoulder.

“I reckon the kid should come with us; he’s got skills we could use on our raids.” Slice and Reginald were both shocked. Floyd and Harry were getting impatient, they knew another argument was about to start.

“That’s a terrible idea! How can we even trust him, he’s just a kid! Besides, how are we going to explain to Terrence how we found him? That we were just casually robbing a jewellery store behind his back?”

Geoffrey chuckled, “Don’t worry Slice, I’ve already got excuses brewing. Anyway, we got what we came for, plus one. Time for us to head back. C’mon kid.” Geoffrey led the way out the back door with Harry and Floyd soon following.

“Reginald, was it? You don’t need to come along if you don’t want to, but Geoffrey was offering so I guess an invitation is open for you to follow.” Slice stepped out the door, leaving Reginald alone in the jewellery store. He soon realised it probably was not a good idea to stick around a crime scene, so he darted out the back door, quickly catching up to the Toppats.  
Slice raised an eyebrow at seeing him following them, but Reginald quickly turned his head away. He nervously stuck close to Geoffrey, as he was the only one who did not seem pissed off by him. He followed the group on foot for an hour, feeling tired, he was almost ready to turn back when he saw it. He gasped as he saw the massive airship, the Toppat logo printed on the side, hovering in the night sky. Geoffrey let out a chuckle as they arrived at a red pod.

“Well, step in kid.” The five of them climbed into the cramped pod. Slice pressed a button and they shot up into the air, their trajectory aiming them towards the airship. Reginald knew there was no turning back now. What was he getting himself into?


	3. A Suave Offer

As the pod docked itself to the airship, Reginald felt his nerves set in. He could not understand why he had decided to go with the Toppats back to their airship, for all he knew he would be skinned alive the moment he stepped outside the pod. The door opened and Geoffrey, Slice, Floyd and Harry all stepped out, Reginald remained in his seat; he felt he would fall on his face from his legs turning to jelly.

“C’mon kid, you came all this way, didn’t you?” Slice teased, “not getting cold feet already, are you?” He let out a cruel chuckle as the four of them walked away from the pod. After taking a moment to get himself together, Reginald worked up the courage to go after them.  
He walked down the corridors lined with doors leading to the rooms of other clan members, meeting rooms, storage for weapons and jewels; Reginald was amazed. The airship seemed so much bigger from the inside, even though it already looked massive from the outside. He tried to peek in as many windows as possible to see all the items the Toppats had stashed away. He was so stunned he did not realise when they reached the door of the airship’s cockpit.

“Geoffrey, you sure you know what we’ll tell Terrence?” Floyd whispered as if Terrence could hear them. Geoffrey nodded his large head, looking very sure of himself. The door opened and they shuffled inside, surrounded by large glass windows with a grand view of the night sky. All was quiet except for the distant whirr of the airship’s turbines keeping them up in the air.

“And where have you four been?” A smooth voice echoed around the mostly empty room. It was then Reginald noticed a gruff-looking man leaning against a control panel with his arms crossed, his eyes covered by the wide brim of his top hat. Reginald had the distinct feeling he was being watched by the man. His attention switched to the chair in the centre of the room that turned to face them.

“We were just…. coming back from an evening stroll of the nearby town,” Geoffrey stuttered, “we were passing a jewellery store when we caught this kid running off with his bag full of necklaces and watches.”

Way to throw me under the bus, Reginald thought. He shot a nasty glare to Geoffrey, but due to his big forehead and being focussed on the man addressing him he didn’t seem to notice. The man stood from the chair, walking right up to Reginald. He was tall, well-groomed and clean shaven with an air of authority to him despite what his own clan members said about him.

“Terrence Suave, the leader of the Toppat Clan,” Terrence stated matter-of-fact, “and you must be the jewellery thief, as I’ve never seen your face around here before. What’s your name kid?”

Reginald stuttered, struggling to get words out. He felt very intimidated to be in the presence of the highest member of a famous criminal gang. He could feel his face growing red the longer it took for him to say his name. He frowned at the mysterious man letting out a scoff.

“Right Hand Man, don’t judge before he’s even said his name. Take your time kid.”

He let out a sigh to reset, “Reginald Copperbottom” he finally managed to squeak out.

“A fine name!” Terrence Suave clapped his hands in acclamation, spinning on his heels and wandering back to his chair to sit down. “You know, we are looking for new Toppat members if you’re interested? From what I can see of that bag that Geoffrey has there, you were able to steal quite the haul!” He gestured to the bulging bag on Geoffrey’s back. That seemed to irritate Right Hand Man as he got up from where he was leaning and went to stand next to Terrence.

“Chief, are you really sure about letting this kid join? We haven’t had time to properly assess if he’s clan material, and he could be troub-” Right Hand Man was cut off by an overly enthusiastic Terrence.

“NONSENSE! Reginald clearly has what it takes to be a Toppat! A master thief and potential asset indeed! We’ll give him the week to settle in and pick a top hat before we hold the initiation ceremony!”

Reginald went quiet, not being sure on what to say. Sure, he followed some clan members back to their airship, but it did not mean he was agreeing to join them. While Terrence and Right Hand Man quietly discussed options between themselves, Reginald thought of his own options. If he were really being offered a place here amongst the Toppats, maybe he could get the money he desperately needed; after all they did hold raids to steal valuables that he could exchange for a bit of cash. It would beat being a petty pickpocket and he had proved himself to be a capable thief, at least up until Slice caught him. Reginald heard Right Hand Man sigh, and another clap from Terrence.

“It’s settled then, Reginald shall be initiated into the clan by the end of the week. A fine Toppat he shall be. He is free to leave if he may choose, of course, but we’ll be keeping the valuables he stole as compensation for wasting my time.”

Reginald hurried his thinking as Terrence watched him expectantly, awaiting his final answer. He figured the positives outweighed any potential negatives, but he was unsure if he would discover those negatives after joining. Terrence seemed to like him, and he was afraid he would not be allowed to leave if he agreed to his offer. He shuffled on his feet, struggling to find an answer he was certain of. He could feel cold sweat and sticky palms, he was so nervous he did not even realise he had given an answer to Terrence.

“Fantastic! I’m so glad we can welcome you aboard! Right Hand Man, show our guest and future clan member to his new room. It is rather late at night and we could all do with some sleep.” Terrence stood from his chair, swiftly leaving the cockpit with the clan members in tow. Only Reginald and Right Hand Man were left.

“C’mon you,” Right Hand Man spoke up after the others had left, “gotta get you to your room.” Reginald was grabbed roughly by the arm and dragged along behind the slightly taller man. A Toppat passed, ignoring them as he headed towards the cockpit. He was probably going to pilot the airship as Terrence slept.

“Ouch that hurts!” Reginald exclaimed, trying to pry Right Hand Man’s fingers off his arm. “You don’t need to grip me so hard! Besides, I am not going to run off! I’m not exactly in a position to go against what you Toppats tell me to do.” To his surprise, Right Hand Man let go of his arm completely.

“Good, you’re a fast learner. You won’t survive long around here if you don’t learn about the way this clan works.” Right Hand Man led him down the corridors, making a few different turns than what Reginald had taken earlier. He had so many questions burning in his mind, about the clan and about its members.

“I do apologise, but how old are you exactly? Some of you guys look very young to be clan members…” He didn’t receive a response except an irritated grunt. He stayed quiet for a moment before deciding to try again.  
“You can’t be that much older than me, and I’m 18, yet you speak like you’re 40 or something with the way you call me a kid.”

They both stopped, Right Hand Man sighing and crossing his arms. Reginald suddenly realised he should probably have shut up the first time. Asking too many questions might get him killed. To his surprise, he was not suddenly pummelled into dust.

“If I answer your questions, will you then be quiet? I’m already getting a headache from being around you.” Reginald nodded, Right Hand Man sighed again.

“To answer your first question, I’m 20, so you were right when you said I’m not much older than you. Before you ask, I call you a kid because I’m second in command of this clan and therefore you are below me in the Toppat clan hierarchy. I’m your boss, got it?”

Reginald nodded again, before moving onto his second question; “So when did you join the Toppat clan? 18 like me?”

“Nope, joined at 16.” Reginald was stunned. People really joined the Toppat clan while they were teenagers, he just could not believe it. He could not understand why anyone would want to join a clan such as the Toppats that young.

“Why?” Reginald would have extended his question, but he struggled to articulate his own words.

“That’s classified, not to mention a very personal question. Before you ask, no you cannot know my name either, that’s also classified and personal. No one here knows my name and I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.” Right Hand Man turned red in the face, Reginald couldn’t help but chuckle at this stoic man’s clear embarrassment. His mood shifted back to patient annoyance, as he led Reginald to his room.  
“Alright, here is where you’re staying. Be ready to wake up early tomorrow as Terrence will probably want to get you fitted for a top hat and discuss better clothing than that dirty hoodie.”

Reginald frowned as he entered the small bedroom. There was a single bed with plain sheets, a wardrobe, some drawers and a small TV. He went to argue but Right Hand Man had already left. He thought a clan with such a nice airship would have better living accommodations. He then realised Geoffrey still had his bag, meaning he did not have any of his belongings with him. He sighed as he took off his hoodie and shoes, laying down on the bed. Did he really agree to join this clan, and would he get the chance to change his mind if he wanted to? He suddenly felt tired after the long night he had, seeing that it was 3 in the morning, he thought it would be best to put his thoughts aside and get some sleep.  
I hope I didn’t make a huge mistake, Reginald thought before he drifted off.


	4. Tailor-Made Toppat

“Reginald! Time to get up newbie!”

Reginald groaned, woken up abruptly by the banging on his door. He looked at the clock on the bedside table; 8am. He tried to go back to sleep, but the pounding on his door was not easy to ignore. He sighed, calling out to whoever was causing all the banging. Dragging himself out of bed, he answered, only to see a red-faced Right Hand Man with his arms crossed.

“I’ve been banging on your door _for an hour! _” Right Hand Man was fuming, but he was able to keep a somewhat patient composure. “I told you to be ready to get up early.”__

____

____

“You never said what time,” Reginald yawned, “so how was I supposed to know you wanted me up at 7?”

Right Hand Man’s scowl got worse, his foot starting to tap impatiently. Reg was snapped out of his tired state, having realised he had been a bit of a smart ass. Without a word, Right Hand Man turned and started walking, Reg assumed he was meant to follow. He realised he had not showered yet that morning, but he had showered the previous night before he attempted to rob the jewellery store; he could last without one for a few more hours. He walked down the corridors that were now bustling with members from the Toppat Clan, all baring unique hats and suits, and scars they had received in fights. A few of them waved to Reginald, while others either glared at him or ignored him completely. However, they all seemed to cower somewhat at Right Hand Man in front of him, he could not blame them; the man was intimidating.  
He started to yawn again, feeling like he had been following Right Hand Man forever. The man in front of him stopped dead in his tracks, the unfocussed Reginald bumping into him from behind. He stammered an apology after hearing a warning growl from the second-in-command. Right Hand Man scanned a key card, the door in front of them opening. He gestured for Reginald to enter, to which he listened, walking inside the somewhat large room.

“You’re ‘ere to pick out a top hat and outfit,” Right Hand man instructed, “can’t have you wandering around in what you’re currently in if you’re to become one of us.”

Reginald scanned the shelves lined with top hats of various shapes, sizes and colours. He wandered over to wardrobes filled with hanging shirts, pants, ties, jacket, and jumpers, along with boxes of shoes piled up along the walls. He decided on browsing the clothes first, seeing what he could find in his size. He settled on a pair of light grey formal pants, a white button-down shirt, and a slim black tie. He also picked out a pair of black formal shoes, black socks, a silver belt and a grey sweater. He decided to keep his black gloves.  
He could feel Right Hand Man’s gaze trained on him, watching him as he wandered over to the top hats. He was almost intimidated by all the hats lined up in front of him, quite a few looked like black standard top hats, most likely for members who did not want to stand out too much with their chosen style. Some were completely outrageous, such as a hat decorated in peacock feathers and embedded with sparkly jewels. He could not make up his mind, so he decided to try and strike up a conversation with Right Hand Man.

“So, what was it like for you picking out your top hat?” Reginald was genuinely curious, a lot of things about Right Hand Man had him curious, but he did not want to cross too many lines.

“It was easy, I wanted something simple but a little different from the standard top hat.” Right Hand Man explained, his face was neutral of any emotion. “I ended up with this black hat with the wider brim.”

As if to show it off, he tugged down on the brim of his top hat, shadows casting on his face. Reginald became a lot more intimidated of this man, his eye seemingly glinting a golden yellow in the darkness. With a smirk, he let go of the brim, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed.

“By the way, whatever hat you pick you’re stuck with. The rules forbid changing top hats after you’ve picked one. No pressure.”

Reginald gulped, feeling a lot more pressure than necessary for just picking out a hat. He scanned the shelves back and forth, lightly sweating. He did not want to pick something stupid, but he did not want a standard top hat either. He stumbled upon a light grey top hat that barely resembled a fedora with its shorter style. The hat was not purely one shade, being a slightly darker grey at the base and brim that blended into the lighter grey near the top. He took the hat and wandered over to the mirror, putting the hat on his head.

“It’s perfect,” he mumbled, “perfect style, perfect fit… just perfect.”

“I must say, the outfit and hat you picked out doesn’t look half bad.” Reginald was almost startled by Right Hand Man suddenly giving his opinion. “The hat certainly goes with the pants and sweater you picked out. Not bad kid. You sure that’s the hat you want to go with?”

Reginald nodded, very pleased with himself at his ability to pick out nice clothing. He probably looked a little odd with his messy chin-length hair sticking out from the bottom of his hat, but he can get it trimmed. Right Hand Man then gestured for the two of them to leave, Reginald followed him out to more familiar areas of the airship. He felt the walk to wherever they were heading would take a bit of time, he decided that maybe he could ask Right Hand Man more questions.

“So… Right, was it? How long have you been Terrence’s Right Hand Man?” He jogged to keep to Right Hand Man’s side, dodging passing other Toppats in the hallways.

“If you must know, I’ve been his Right Hand since I joined the clan. I took over from Wilhelm Krieghaus, the previous right hand. He helped show me the ropes of being the right hand of the Toppats. He’s been a member for over 20 years now.”

Reginald was amazed that anyone could be a Toppat for that long. He was also surprised that Right Hand Man had been promoted to such a high position when he first joined. Every bit of info that was about the Toppat Clan surprised him, and he wanted to hear more. He wanted to ask a million questions that were buzzing in his mind, struggling to keep himself quiet. He was a lot more excited about the idea of being a Toppat after getting to learn a tiny bit about them.

“If Wilhelm has been a Toppat for over 20 years, how old is he?”

“40.”

“How do people join the Toppat Clan?”

“Some members are sought out, gaining our attention through their crimes, such as yourself. We offer them places amongst our ranks. Others have had their families involved with the Toppat Clan for generations, once example is the Tattlemuffin family, with Quincy being our current member from said family.” Right Hand Man explained gladly, seemingly enjoying sharing his knowledge. “Some come to us looking for better opportunities like Eduardo Gioncarlo. Then there is Howie Howitzer, he was orphaned so we adopted him. He’s under the guidance of a few of the clan’s highest-ranking members.”

Reginald listened intently. He wanted to hear more but they had arrived at the airship’s cockpit, meaning he would have to put his questions on hold for later. He let out a disappointed huff as they entered. The cockpit was a lot busier than it was last night, with lots of Toppats monitoring the control panels as Terrence sat in the pilot’s seat. Right Hand Man went to his side, waving Reginald over.

“He’s picked out his hat, Chief. He’s looking more like a Toppat already.” Reginald could have sworn Right Hand Man was faking his enthusiasm. He was also confused when he thought he heard a sadness to his voice but was distracted by Terrence’s shouting.

“Wonderful! Everything about his outfit is perfect! Not over the top but not too bland or casual either. Sure, he went with a sweater but there is nothing wrong with that! Well done Reginald!” He could not help but feel a bubble of pride in his chest from Terrence’s compliments. “I assume you’re excited to be initiated at the end of this week?”

Reginald nodded, if sticking around meant he got to hear more about the clan and its history, he was absolutely looking forward to being initiated. Terrence then gave him a small run down of how the ceremony would go, which consisted of being introduced in front of the other members from the airship division with a small speech from Terence welcoming him into the clan. He was then dismissed by Terrence to explore the airship. Seeing as he was not a member just yet, he could not engage in any tasks or raids they might have.  
Reginald wandered the corridors, peeking into any rooms that had windows on their doors, letting himself fully take in his new reality. He could not wait to be given tasks and raids; he needed the money soon so he hoped that he would be given a decent reward for his work. He wanted to be able to enter the rooms, but many of them were locked via a key card, which was something he did not have. He assumed he would receive one upon his initiation. As he turned around to try another corridor, he was startled to see Right Hand Man next to him.

“What are you doing following me?!” He tried to calm his heart that felt it was on the verge of an attack, glaring slightly at the taller man.

“Terrence told me to keep an eye on you. Did you really believe he would let you wander the airship on your own?” He chuckled a little, arms crossed as he looked down at Reginald. “Is almost cute that you thought you wouldn’t be supervised.”

Reginald sighed, rolling his eyes at his superior, “You following me around isn’t going to put me off from exploring. Now, could you perhaps point me in the direction of some kind of records room where I might be able to research the clan?”

Right Hand Man scoffed, “After asking me all those questions, you only now think to look for a records room?” He chuckled slightly, “Why use a records room when you can just ask a clan member?”

“Good point,” Reginald started, turning swiftly to find a Toppat, “I’ll let you know when I’ve found someone and then you can leave me alone. They can supervise me.”

“When I said a clan member, I meant me.” Right Hand Man chuckled again, “C’mon, follow me to the cafeteria and you can ask me more questions while you have breakfast. I doubt you’ve eaten yet with how busy this morning’s been.”

As if on cue, Reginald’s stomach growled. He sighed, reluctantly following behind Right Hand Man. He guessed it would not hurt if his superior were offering to answer his questions. He also really needed something to eat before he did any more exploring for the day.


	5. 20 Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This feels a little rushed to me but I wanted to get this chapter out quickly as its mainly just a dialogue chapter.

After getting a tray piled with breakfast foods, Reginald sat down opposite to Right Hand Man at one of the long benches in the cafeteria; the hall being mostly empty as a few Toppats lingered, slow eaters who preferred to socialise. Reginald could not help himself as he started shovelling food into his mouth; he was starving. Right Hand Man gave him a concerned look, watching as his food quickly disappeared from his tray.

“You uh…. You alright there, kid?” Right Hand Man hesitantly questioned, not being sure how to ask. “You’re eating like you’ve been starved for a month.”

Upon hearing Right Hand Man’s comment, he stopped eating for a moment, before making a point to slow down his eating. He lowered his eyes, wanting to avoid Right Hand Man’s concerned gaze. He could hear his superior shift in his seat, an awkward cough being used to try and break the tension.

“Sorry, bad comment. Now, you ‘ad some questions about the clan, so I’ll let you ask me, and I’ll answer as many of them as I can. However, if I just let you ask as many questions as you want, we’ll probably be ‘ere all day, so I’m limiting the number of questions to twenty.”

Reginald nodded, taking a moment to think of twenty questions he really wanted answered. He tapped his fork against his plate in thought, Right Hand Man being surprisingly patient, or at least it as surprising to Reginald. Upon working out his questions, he asked the first one on his mind.

“So, how long has the Toppat Clan been in existence?” 

Right Hand Man gave a slight smile. “At least two hundred years,” he stated, “the clan’s been around for so long earlier records have been lost. The olden Toppats weren’t so good at keeping records.”

He let out a chuckle, which helped to relieve some of Reginald’s tension. One down, nineteen more to go.

“How many members are part of the Toppat Clan?”

“Maybe around 3,500. We used to have close to 5,000 but with Terrence in charge…. Well, we’ve lost a few.” Right Hand Man rolled his eyes a little, Reginald was curious as to why, but he did not want to waste his questions.

“Is the entire clan on this airship?”

“Nope, this is just the airship division. 1,000 of our members reside here currently while the rest are split amongst other divisions, mainly secret bases around the world the airship docks at for resupplies and to drop off excess goods we’ve stolen.”

Reginald’s jaw dropped, 3,500 was already a big number, and he was surprised that there used to be more. However Right Hand Man’s attitude towards Terrence was starting to get to him, but he pushed aside any questions relating to that and went back on topic.

“How often do individual members get to keep money and stolen goods?”

“Fairly often, a cut of what is stolen gets given to clan members who participate in raids while the rest is left as back up funds for airship repairs or to be put towards larger projects. Higher-ranked members get larger cuts on top of what they already own, seeing as I’m second-in command I get paid quite well, however I’m nowhere near the richest. That would be Terrence and a few other highly-ranked Toppats who come from wealthy families.”

Reginald nodded, feeling relieved that he would, in fact, be receiving payment for his work with the clan. Money was something he really needed right now and he found comfort in knowing it would come, he just had to be patient. He moved onto his next question.

“How many leaders has the Toppat Clan had?”

“Too many to count.” Right Hand Man gave a smirk, seeing Reginald’s slight glare at his vagueness. “I’m being serious, you expect us to have record of how many leaders we’ve had in over 200 years? Even when most leaders have barely lasted up to five years as leader before they got overthrown by the next? Even when older records have been lost?”

“Okay okay….” Reginald huffed, waving his hands to get Right Hand Man to stop his tangent, “I get your point.”

Reginald had already used up five of his questions, but he had so many more. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know the answers to some of his questions that he had ready, so he decided to follow up on one of Right Hand Man’s points.

“You said leaders would barely last a few years, so who lasted the longest?”

“That would be Dusty, he was so old by the time his run as leader ended. People often thought he died standing up from how slow he was, but he was respected as a leader so no one wanted to take advantage of his frailness to become the next in charge. Fights did break out after he died of old age, lots of people wanted to be the next leader. You can actually find his old top hat in our main vault on the airship, I might show you sometime.”

An interesting offer, but Reginald wasn’t interested in a dusty, old hat right now.

“Does the Toppat Clan have any allies?”

“Well, mainly a few select individuals. We aren’t really allies with any major groups, we have enough members on our own and we do just fine… Well, at least we did before- you get my point.”

Reginald was really bothered by Right Hand Man seemingly shutting himself down anytime Terence came into the picture. He pushed his questions aside and decided to try and push the matter a little.

“Who would you consider to be the Toppat Clan’s worst leader ever?”

Right Hand Man seemed uncomfortable with that question, but he remained patient as he gave his answer.

“Maybe Cloudface... People couldn’t understand a thing he was saying behind his thick beard…. But if you mean in terms of leadership, then I guess I’d have to say Terrence Suave.”

Now this was interesting to Reginald, the Right Hand Man of the Toppat Clan’s current leader seemed to disagree with Terrence as chief. 

“Why do you think he’s the worst leader?” He raised a brow at Right Hand Man, hoping he was not just shut down for asking.

“Poor leadership skills, reckless, and he launches pointless raids just because he finds them fun. We lost members either from dying on his stupid raids or quitting due to his incompetence.”

Reginald smirked, he could work with this.

“You really seem to hate him as leader, so why aren’t you the leader of the Toppats?”

“Because I don’t want to. I’m loyal to the Toppats and to Terrence.”

“If you’re so loyal, why don’t you take over? Wouldn’t being loyal mean you know what’s best for the clan?”

“I already said I don’t want to be leader. You’re testing my patience, kid. Also, that’s gonna count as two questions.”

Reginald pouted. Despite knowing Right Hand Man was getting irritated, he wanted to push the issue further. He didn’t know why but he needed to know more about the second in command of the Toppat Clan.

“I just don’t get it. You hate him, yet you remain as his side kick. Are you his ‘partner’ or something?”

“Ew no, and you’re fucking lucky I don’t snap your neck for asking that one.”

“Okay then, so then why did you even accept the position of Right Hand Man when you joined? You were only 16!”

“That’s none of your fucking business kid and I advise you to stop with that attitude right now before I make you regret it.”

Reginald knew he was grabbing the attention of the few Toppats in the cafeteria, embarrassing both himself and Right Hand Man. The Toppats awkwardly left, leaving just him and Right Hand Man alone. His boss could get away with murder right now if he wanted to, but he seemingly restrained himself while Reginald barraged him with more personal questions.

“Stop calling me a kid! You’re only two years older! Why do you speak down to me like I’m 5?!”

“Because for an 18-year old you sure as fuck act like a 5-year old! When I tell you to keep your nose out of my business you don’t listen! I am _your boss_!”

Reginald should have taken that as his cue to stop, but he did not. He kept pushing further.

“Why do you hate me so much?! Its clear you don’t like me being here!”

“That’s because you’re a disrespectful little shit who doesn’t know when to listen to orders! You don’t belong in this clan!”

Reginald was boiling with anger. How _dare_ he be insulted this way! How _dare_ this man speak down to him! How _dare_ Right Hand Man call him out on his disrespectful attitude! How _dare_ Right Hand Man protect his own privacy from a kid he met only hours before!

“Why don’t you want me here?!”

“Learn to listen! You. Don’t. Belong. _Here_.”

They were both at the end of their tethers. They both wanted this to end. Reginald only had three questions left.

“Why was it from the moment I entered this airship, you’ve tried to block me from being a Toppat?! I can be a Toppat if I want-”

Right Hand Man leapt from his seat in a fit of rage, Reginald falling back from his in sheer terror and fear. He really fucked up, and he was terrified that he had angered Right Hand Man to the point of murder. The ginger man’s face was burning red from his frustration. Reginald feared his life was about to end right then and there. 

“JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! STOP ASKING QUESTIONS YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR THE ANSWERS TO!”

Right Hand Man stood over Reginald, shaking with anger, his shadow enveloping the younger man’s shivering and cowardly form. Reginald chanced a look up at the intimidating man and was surprised to see tears forming in his eyes. Upon realising Reginald could see his tears, Right Hand Man stormed off towards the cafeteria doors but was stopped by Reginald’s timid voice.

“Did Terrence really tell you to look out for me, or was that your own decision…?”

Right Hand Man had his back to Reginald, and he seemed like he was going to answer, instead he let out a shaking sigh and stormed out, leaving the cafeteria empty besides Reginald and the thick layers of tension. After calming down, he stood on unsteady legs, feeling his soul enter his body again after almost floating off in anticipation of his death.  
19 questions, Reginald thought, I only asked 19 questions.


	6. Tea with Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the last chapter being rushed and poorly written, have this newer and better chapter to make up for it!

Reginald felt absolutely awful for his attitude towards Right Hand Man, he had not even been there for more than a day and he was acting like he ran the place, and in the most awful way possible. He had acted out of line and needed to go and apologise. After Reginald felt calmer, he went looking for Right Hand Man. He wandered the corridors in the direction he believed he had gone, but he soon got lost. He thought Right Hand Man would be in the cockpit with Terrence but he couldn’t remember which direction he came from to get to the cafeteria, and there was a lack of signs to point him in the right direction. All the Toppats he approached would only shrug at him or tell him to go away when he asked for help. He felt like he was getting more and more lost by the hour.  
Sighing, he sat down in the corridor to rest his aching legs. He could not see a clock to check the time, and he assumed he was somewhere in the middle of the ship as he had not seen a window in a while. He felt tired, not only from all the walking, but from his screaming and aggression towards Right Hand Man earlier. His guilt was eating away at his conscience. He really wanted to apologise. 

He got distracted by his guilt and did not realise his legs were in the way, a group of Toppats distracted by carrying bags of jewels and stacks of paperwork tripped over him. They all groaned and grunted angrily as they landed on their faces. Reginald quickly pulled his legs to his chest, one of the Toppats tried shuffling his papers together.

“Didn’t your mother teach you to not get in people’s ways, newbie?” He was clearly angry that he had dropped his neat stack of papers, muttering about how long it took him to organise them.

“I reckon we should teach him a lesson, boys!” Another piped up after swiping the jewels back into his bag. The small gang started to corner Reginald, standing over him menacingly. 

Reginald quickly stood up, pushing past them. He heard one of them yell out and pounding footsteps that chased after him. He sprinted down the surprisingly empty corridors, trying to find a room he could hide in. No doors were open, and he started panicking. He turned a corner, ending up in a large, rounded foyer-like area with doors lining the walls. They looked like doors to bedrooms, so he hurriedly banged on one, hoping to get the attention of anyone who might be inside. He was suddenly pinned to the door by one of the Toppats chasing him down. 

“Nowhere to go now!” The Toppat raised his fist to deliver a hard blow to Reginald’s face, but instead he felt his back hit the floor as the door behind him opened. He opened his eyes that he had shut in anticipation of the punch, only to see Right Hand Man scowling down at him.

“Shit, it’s the boss!” The Toppats scattered, leaving Reginald on his back at Right Hand Man’s door. His boss sighed, grabbing Reginald by the arm and pulling him to his feet.

“What trouble are you getting yourself into now?” He looked tired and miserable, he was missing his top hat and his hair that was usually tied back was now let loose and flowed down his back. He was also wearing shorts and a black tank top, certainly a contrast to his usual formal-dressed self.

“I was lost…” Reginald mumbled, “I was looking for you… I wanted to apologise to you for my behaviour earlier…”

Right Hand Man sighed again, stepping to the side.

“C’mon… You can apologise to me in my room. I’m gonna need some tea for this.”

Reginald walked inside, instantly stunned by the grand, fully furnished room. This was very different from the little box he had slept in the previous night. There was a large queen-sized bed against one wall, with large sets of drawers and bookshelves lining the walls. There was a small area in the corner that acted as an open-plan kitchenette that blended nicely with the rest of the room. A decent-sized TV sat on a stand next to the kitchen with a comfy-looking couch facing it. He hated to admit it, but he was jealous. This was even better than the house he grew up in.  
Right Hand Man wandered over to the kitchenette, filling the kettle with water and turns it on. 

“Would you like some tea?” He gestured to a small pile of boxes, each filled with different kinds of tea bags. Reginald was surprised that Right Hand Man was not as angry as he was before, but he was very scared to accidently set him off again.

“Maybe some black tea…” He stood awkwardly next to the bench, unsure of where to look. Right Hand Man set a black tea bag in a mug, along with one in his own mug, before turning his attention back to Reginald.

“So, you want to apologise for what happened earlier?” He crossed his arms, leaning on the bench, the kettle starting to bubble and boil.

“Yes…” Reginald sighed, “I’m so, so sorry for my attitude earlier. I was rude, and erratic, and just all over the place and I ended up majorly overstepping your boundaries and acted defiant when you told me to stop. It was wrong of me to do that, whether or not I’m new here.”

“You really were all over the place… I was certainly confused by you carrying on like that.” He lifted up the whistling kettle, pouring hot water into their mugs. He picked up the newer-looking mug, handing it to Reginald. He sipped carefully as he followed Right Hand Man over to the couch.

“I think I’ve been overwhelmed lately… I have a lot going on in my personal life and then suddenly I’m joining a huge crime organisation… Guess it all just got to me, I’m sorry…”

Right Hand Man nodded, a shocked expression flashing briefly. Reginald was thankful Right Hand Man did not pry deeper like he had tried earlier. 

“I accept your apology. You’re new here, and I believe in time you’ll learn to be more respectful. I already have hope for you seeing as you have a conscience. Not everyone has the guts to admit when they’re in the wrong.”

Reginald felt a tiny bubble of pride in his chest, nodding as he let Right Hand Man speak.

“I also need to apologise… I’m usually patient but you somehow managed to push all my buttons and it set me off. Its no excuse though, if I was that irritated, I should have just gotten up and walked away.”

Right Hand Man was not having his tea, merely holding the hot mug in his hands. Reginald didn’t quite understand why Right Hand Man would want to apologise to him, but he accepted the apology regardless. They both sat quietly for a moment, Reginald slowly sipping away at his tea, the two avoiding eye contact. Reginald would glance at Right Hand Man occasionally, taking the time to really observe his boss. He looked tense, like something was on his mind. He also noticed his eyes were red and slightly puffy, which was a little surprising despite having seen him on the verge of tears earlier.  
He understood why Right Hand Man had gotten angry, but he didn’t understand why he had gotten upset. He suddenly remembered he still had one question left, and he quickly decided how he would use it wisely.

“I understand why you got angry at me earlier, but you also seemed to get very upset with me. Why?”

Right Hand Man chuckled slightly, “Sorry kid, you already asked your twenty questions.”

“No,” Reginald rebutted, “I only asked 19. I know things got pretty heated, but I still kept count.”

Right Hand Man was slightly surprised, but also slightly irritated. Reginald knew he was getting somewhat personal again with his question, but he hoped Right Hand Man could at least give a vague answer. He could see his boss was getting uncomfortable, but the man sighed, setting down his mug in defeat.

“I can’t get into the full details, but all I can say is that you’re making a huge mistake becoming a Toppat. I’ve personally driven away lots of kids your age and younger from joining the clan without Terrence knowing. I didn’t want them or you to make the same mistakes I did.”

Reginald became highly worried, what mistakes was Right Hand Man trying to protect him from. He remained quiet as he carefully thought over his words, wanting to make sure he did not say anything that would upset his boss again. He sipped the last drops of his tea, setting the empty mug down on the table in front of him. Sighing, he let his thoughts flow from his mouth.

“I don’t fully understand what mistakes you think I could make, but I also need you to understand I really need to take this opportunity. I can’t tell you the whole story, but long story short I’m broke, and I’ve been denied every job I’ve applied for… I really need the money and being a pick pocket wasn’t cutting it anymore. Being part of the clan could get me the money… I don’t have much time left…”

Right Hand Man nodded in understanding, but let out a deep sigh, crossing his arms and leaning back on the sofa.

“That was my mistake… Relying heavily on the clan to save me from my problems…”

Reginald’s stomach dropped. He was desperate, but now he was reconsidering his choice to join the clan. Unless Right Hand Man was a really good actor, he could tell just by his expression alone that he was concerned for him. He gripped at the fabric from his pants, bunching it up in his fists as he worked through his anxiety. Right Hand Man had warned him, but it was with good intentions; it scared him like Right Hand Man intended, but he had no other choices than to join the clan to get what he desperately needed.

“I’m sorry, but I need to stay with the clan. I have nowhere else to go. You just need to trust that I can handle whatever might happen…”

“Doubt it, you’ve already gotten yourself into trouble twice today… Guess I’ll just have to keep on watching you from now on.”

Despite the seriousness of their discussion, Right Hand Man flashed a light smirk.

“Terrence DIDN’T tell you to watch me! You did that yourself!”

Right Hand Man let out a chuckle, which helped relieve the tension between them. Reginald sank back into the couch as Right Hand Man picked up his now lukewarm mug of tea and drank as much of it as he could before it went completely cold; not wanting a good mug of tea to go to waste. He took their empty mugs and sat them next to his sink, speaking to Reginald who was trying to fight off sleep.

“Given how late it is, I think you’ll have to stay here for the night. I can’t be bothered to walk you all the way back to your room, especially dressed like this.”

He gestured to the shorts and tank top he was wearing, before attempting to shuffle Reginald off his couch. Reginald helped him move the coffee table and watched as Right Hand Man unfolded the couch out into a bed. He then went to grab pillows and blankets, throwing them in Reginald’s direction.

“Guests get the couch bed. Goodnight!”

Reginald stood next to his couch bed, watching as Right Hand Man climbed into his much more luxurious bed, turning off the lights and leaving him in the dark. He swears he could _hear_ Right Hand Man’s smirk in in the darkness. Sighing, he stripped out of most of his clothes, except for his pants and underwear. He climbed onto the uncomfortable mattress, fluffing the pillows and pulling the blankets over himself. He closed his eyes to try and sleep, but his anxieties over his boss’ warning were keeping him awake. He tossed and turned, feeling like hours without sleep were passing him by, bringing him closer to a morning spent chugging coffee to stay awake.  
At some point in the night, he could hear Right Hand Man seemingly struggling to sleep as well. Carefully, he peeked over the back of his couch, seeing the man’s form tossing and turning just as he had.

“Right…?” Reginald whispered out to his boss, “Are you okay…?”

He did not receive a response, which he would have shrugged off and attempted to sleep again, but he started to hear Right Hand Man’s breathing get shaky. He listened, his boss sounding distressed in his sleep. Was he having a nightmare? He wanted to try and wake up Right Hand Man, but part of him considered that a bad idea. He listened further, becoming more concerned as his panic seemed to rise more in his sleep. Suddenly, Right Hand Man awoke with a startled yelp, quickly sitting upright. Getting out of bed, he rushed to his bathroom and flicked on the light. Reginald quietly got up from the couch and followed him, standing a little away from the door. He could hear his boss trying to calm himself down, watching as he ran the tap and splashed his face as he carefully got closer.  
Right Hand Man eventually calmed down, looking exhausted from being awoken in the middle of the night by his own terrors. He looked up from the sink and froze when he saw Reginald watching him. 

“H-How much of that did you see…?” He stammered, shakily moving away from the sink.

“…all of it.” Reginald responded honestly, but quietly. He shuffled awkwardly as he considered whether or not to try and offer help. “I-If you need me to help at all, just ask-“

“I’d prefer if you just go back to bed and forget you ever saw anything...” Right Hand Man interrupted him, sounding just as tired as he looked, but still managed to scrape together his authority.  
“O-Okay…” Reginald was unsure if he would be able to sleep after what he witnessed, but he would try. 

He nodded and wandered back to the couch bed, hearing Right Hand Man sigh and shuffle back into bed. Crawling under the blankets, he remained awake for the next few hours until he was sure Right Hand Man was asleep.


End file.
